There has been some criticism for composers AR Rahman and Ilaiyaraaja for a while now. Following the theatrical release and the digital premiere of Dorothy, Ilaiyaraaja's music for the Karthik Subbaraj directorial venture came under scrutiny. While it also has its fair share of admirers, the Dorothy music has drawn flak for allegedly being "misused" to endorse the LGBTQ+ themes that the detractors deemed inappropriate. Even at a craft-level, the music in Dorothy has faced criticism, with some calling it too over the top for a film of its kind.

Meanwhile, AR Rahman has been facing flak for his work in Hindi cinema after his contentious comments about potential communalism depriving him of work in the industry. As with the legendary composer's work in Dorothy, Rahman's music in Imtiaz Ali's Main Vaapas Aaunga has received equal amounts of criticism and appreciation. Now, Rahman's work in the upcoming Ranbir Kapoor starrer Ramayana has drawn some negativity as well.

Amidst the negativity around the discography of these two icons of Indian music, singer Srinivas shared his two cents about it. Taking to X, Srinivas revealed that such criticism is not a new phenomenon for both. "The joke is that both ARR and IR have been written off several times, but only those who write like that get written off . As early as 1994 (after Kadhalan album release), one composer told me ARR won’t exist as a composer. Countless such examples over the years."

Regarding Ilaiyaraaja, Srinivas shared, "IR was also written off by many but he has consistently replied to his critics by his film scores, his symphony, Dorothy and it will be many more."

The singer shut down the detractors for the two by saying, "These people have spent a lifetime in music and they are geniuses." However, the musician expressed his sadness about MS Viswanathan not being "given an opportunity later in his life."